Thanks for the suggestions.

It was a Junkers 88 that delivered that bomb on 23rd April 1942.

mmmmm…….

Beamers…..

Junkers 88’s.

There were 49 of them that began the bombing on 23rd April 1942.

Yup…… I live 900 metres across the river. Shook our windows a wee bit. Felt like “the good old days” back in Belfast. Mind you, King Billy was here in Exeter in 1690 so i’m blaming him and those bloody Loyalist ejits.

BeTECK? What the hell is that?

Is that the course where Hydrogen is spelled hidrogen, physics is spelled fisixs and the earth is a spinning disk carried on the back of four turtles?

At least get your spelling right , man!!!!

BUMP

OK. Thanks for being so patient.

Firstly, it’s not easy. Choosing GCSE’s is a nightmare even at the best of times. My school would normally have dedicated a specific day to interviewing students in school followed by a “Subject Trade Fair” in the Sports Hall for parents and kids. (Lots of displays and demonstrations going on with Heads of Department/Senior Leaders always available to answer questions.)
I’m always there doing my bit to sell my subjects (D&T and Comp Sci) It’s always a good night. Parents always appreciate the one-to-one time and kids love seeing the potential in the subjects they might choose.
As you can guess, it’s all very different this year! I am sure you have watched the “on-line tours” that all departments are now doing. Also, I am sure you have been sent the information pack and started to match up subjects choices with timetabled blocks. How’s that going?

I’m interested to hear that your daughter has to choose a VOC subject as well as her more academic subjects. I’ve taught in a few schools now and often students follow “paths.” Sometimes the more academically able are guided towards the humanities + Sciences whilst the students who have other talents follow a more Vocational path. Sounds like your daughter’s school could have a really wide range of subjects and qualifications for her to choose, so that sounds really positive. Often, students will know which “path” they are destined for even before the Options forms are sent to Parents. Does it say which path on the Options Form?

Either way, your daughter sounds pretty switched on. Astrofizzlestick eh? That sounds cool! Has she definitely, chosen Triple Award Science? Also, Additional Maths? She Definitely choosing Computer Science as well? Having said all that, other posters have indicated that the subjects she chooses at GCSE will not impact on her ability to access a range of AS/A Level courses. To be honest, I’m not certain of that. Especially where the Sciences are concerned. I’ve had lots of conversations with parents who are dead set on their kids following a career in Medicine when the kid themselves hasn’t got a clue what they want to do, so my advice is always “do something you love” especially if you are not too sure what you want to do. However, your daughter sounds very focused and her GCSE choices should be as equally focused to what she wants to do in the future.

Now to iMedia and VOC courses in general. Do you know the teachers who are going to teach these subjects? Have they taught the course before? How long have they taught the course? What were the GCSE results for that subject like last year? It’s really important to know these things as Vocational Courses take a lot of skill to teach. The traditional teaching model is that a student does a bit of work. They hand it in for marking. They are given pointers for improvement and they make the necessary changes to get a higher grade. All sounds sensible right? Well VOC Courses don’t follow that model. A student must complete the work in the allotted time under assessed conditions AND MAKE THEIR OWN IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT TEACHER INPUT. Many schools have fallen foul of the course administration rules and have been charged with malpractice. This means that students now can’t share their work, they can’t compare their work with their peers, they can not use teacher input to improve their work, they can not use common sources of information, they can not use templates etc etc…. the list goes on.

This all means that in a VOC GCSE course, the student experience is VERY different from other GCSE’s. VOC students need to be self-motivated and on-the-ball YET it is often the least self-motivated and the least on-the-ball students who end up doing a VOC course. Does your daughter want to be in a small class with Ryan who got done for TWOC’ing last night or Chantelle who spends most of her time checking her phone and doing her makeup? Sorry but that is the reality and big apologies if your kids are called Ryan and Chantelle!

iMedia (specifically) is a bloody nightmare. (Huge amounts rules/regs and paperwork for teachers and really critical deadlines that students MUST adhere to at specific times of the year otherwise the school gets hit with exam re-entry fees. Actually on that point, teachers can not give feedback on a students work before its submitted for final marking so some teachers are asking students to resit and resit and resit the same piece of coursework multiple times in an effort to gain a higher grade. Madness!! Our school got rid of iMedia this year and thank god for that. Teachers with software and programming experience are few and far between in Secondary Schools. That means your daughter will most likely be taught Software Animation and Desktop Publishing/Graphics by a non-specialist.

PLEASE NOT iMEDIA. DO NOT PUT YOUR DAUGHTER THROUGH THAT!!!!

Sorry for the rant! But when I saw the words iMEDIA…. I came out in a cold sweat. In the end, you know your daughter best. I am sure you all find the best decision for you. At the very least, contact the specific Subject Teachers and ask some questions. Hope that helps a little. When does the Options Form need to be completed?

ohhhh and please don’t get started on GCSE Comp Sci and the madness that is the “Non-Examined Assessment! What you think Jimmydee1984?

OK.

I’m a Year 9 Tutor so have just spent 3 weeks interviewing parents and students and helping them through the GCSE Options process.

Additionally, I teach GCSE Comp Sci AND crucially I have taught Cambridge Nationals iMedia for the last 4 years.

Will post a more detailed answer later. Currently in staff meeting.

What temperature did you wash it at?

I did the same with a Garmin Edge 810 on a 90 degree boil wash. Damn thing came out as a Edge 705. Had to go back to bloody Ant+ as I lost Bluetooth capability and everything.

Garmin only recommend their GARMIN BRANDED Non-bio for the Edge Series. I’m led to believe that Wahoo stuff can only be washed by hand using the tears of an angel.

On-One Whippet £999 + a bouncy fork

OR

Specialized Chisel Base £1399

Know what B.F. Skinner ultimately used his pigeons for?

Yes…… One of the worlds first guided weapons.

He trained the pigeons to peck at a picture of a battleship and rewarded their behaviour with food. He then stuffed each pigeon into the front of a surface to air missile with a wee window in the front of it.

As the guided missile hurtled towards a real battleship, the pigeon would peck the window and so kept the missile on target.

Kamikaze pigeons. Love it!

Correlation NOT causation.

FFS. Do some reading will you. Start with B.F. Skinner and his wee pigeons.

The “last time” you wore that shirt?

My uncle Charlie has a pair of shoes just like your shirt. He’s a right miserable sod. Every time he wears those **** shoes he’s always in a grump.

He wore them at his wifes funeral….. GRUMP.

He wore them at his daughters funeral…. GRUMP.

Silly bugger even wore then when his dog was put down…… GRUMP.

I told him he needs to buy new shoes. Will he **** listen. I think not!

Anyway…. Its his second wifes funeral tomorrow….. Bet he wears those blooody shoes again. He’s gonna be a delight to be around…. I just know it.

,

davegt……

I know that feeling! I’m also 3Kgs over weight at the moment! Too much Stollen and Mince Pies over Xmas.

Usually takes me about 8-9 weeks to loose that much once the serious training kicks in.

Chrishc777…..

I really liked your post. However you stopped just short of what I have been thinking…..

I weigh 58Kgs which is pretty much HALF of the combined weight of bike and rider you have spoken of.

I’m also 5ft 3ins.

Question is….. Is the OP 10ft 6ins tall?

I would guess that the easiest (and cheapest way) to loose 3kgs would be to loose it from the rider.

I haven’t met many 104Kg people who couldn’t afford to loose a few Kilos.

Just saying!

Hi….. At times like these, I often think that “medical professionals” are useful to talk to.

I heard about this one bunch of medicals bods that actually had a website and everything. I even think that they have “buildings” dotted around the country where you can go and ask for advice. I am sure they might even have some kind of telephone helpline.

As a matter of interest I had a look at their freely available and easily accessible information for a range of ailments that I am suffering from namely cat aids and migraines. I couldn’t find ANYTHING for migraines but I think i’m sorted for cat aids.

THE NHS COULDN’T POSSIBLY HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER BY WAY OF GUIDANCE REGARDING MIGRAINES COULD IT?

Anyway here is the cat aids one.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/toxoplasmosis/

Perhaps you might like to have a little “Google” of the Key Words “NHS” and “Migraine.” Incidentally, ALL medical professionals say that migraines may be caused by a wide range of things including STRESS…… ANXIETY and other ENVIRONMENTAL factors so FOOD is only 1 FACTOR to consider when trying to find the cause of migraines

In other words – Don’t give up the bacon sandwiches until you have dealt with the mountain of stress at work.

Really torn with how I feel about Emily Batty.

Yes, she is a talented athlete but the “insta and makeup” side of her life is something I really struggle with.

I’ve always viewed people who wear such huge levels of makeup and continually have to portray such a measured and clinically perfect image as people who have HUGE self-esteem issues.

I can’t imagine waking up in a bothy/tent/on the side of a mountain and feeling that I HAVE TO spend an hour putting on layers of makeup before I feel strong enough to get on with living the day. (and yes, I am a bloke and I dont have the same pressure to look good BUT there are also many women out there who put practicality and performance above looking “‘mazing” and perfecting a trout-pout, yet still look beautiful and feminine – my wife for one.)

Emily herself has talked at great length about her self-esteem struggles and I feel for her BUT the bit that I struggle with is how she equates wearing makeup with “beauty” and “womanhood.”

The fact that women can be “women” without the makeup, women can be “women” without wearing pastel colours and women can be “beautiful” without spending 3 hours in the bathroom preening and plucking has complete bypassed her.

She has in the past talked about her makeup being her “war-paint.” Something that helps her get her “game-face” on in preparation for an important race etc but I really struggle with her narrow view of what a “beautiful woman” is. It’s a strange type of feminism, I think.

Also, I’ve watched a number of videos of the trips she has been on (notably her latest one to Iceland.) I get the feeling that unless she has a crew to attend to her every whim, then she would be up poo creak without a paddle. She always seems to have a willing bunch of people who are ready to step in and fix things for her whether that be cooking food or finding a misplaced sleeping bag whilst she does a piece to camera about how “tough” and “stressful” it all is.

And this is all on the back of her being an amazing athlete! Which she undoubtedly is! and clearly having the tenacity and resilience to compete at an elite level.

A very complicated character, I think.

There was this thing I watched the other day. Jaysus, it was a fine show altogether. And, says I, sure well the racing not on for another hour and a half and says I, it’ll kill some time before the missus comes home. Well…. ya see, there was this man. Well…… I think it was a man. Well, it coulda been a man cuz men wear hats and this person wore a hat. And a fine hat it was like. A fedora me thinks. So he must have been a man, so to speak. Because women don’t wear fedoras. Well… if you believe in that sort of thing anyway.
Well, come here I’ll tell ya about the man. The man did this thing, that I suppose well, he had to do it cuz, well, it was his job actually, even though he didn’t want to do it. Bit like my Aunty Betty actually. She used to work doing the same thing, in Minnis’s Shop down the street. Actually, wasn’t it before she worked in Minnis’s and before she got married to thon latchyco from Aghadowey, ya know the one that lost his toe in the Combine.

Anyway, there was this man with a hat…….

Big worms. Loads of sand.

Oh. I see. Makes sense now.

That was me talking out of my arse earlier.

Less bricks than a straight wall? YEAH RIGHT!

Go on….. Someone explain that, then! (without using technical terms like “stretcher”, “frog” and “course” to try and hide the blatant disregard for the laws of physics.)

I call B.S.

p7eaven……Isn’t eating stuff and NOT TASTING IT like one of the key signs of ya know THE BIG NASTY Kung Flu thingy????

You had a test recently?

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

£600 LOL SIX HUNDRED POUNDS !!!! LOL S.I.X. H.U.N.D.R.E.D POUNDS! LOL

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

I’ve never had problems setting up WPS. Dont know what you are doing but I’ve always found it the easiest.

I agree with Molgrips….. especially if you arw working to a tight deadline…. Ya know…. LiKE 5PM ON FRIDAY 22ND.

Molgrips…… You finished Flappy Bat yet?

You brought a printer?…… Where did you BRY it from?

I’ll “second” anything made by Juice Lubes but I’m a wee bit biased – (Wife used to work for Velo Brands.)

Our lube of choice is Juice Lubes – Viking Juice.

Mind you, still haven’t found anything that comes near to beating “Morgan Blue” as a chain degreaser. (Sorry, Mr Miles!!)

AHHHHHH!!!! I KNOW! You could TEACH YOURSELF CODING.

Have a wee chat to Molgrips…..

He’s trying to create an arcade game using Scratch. I get the feeling he’s struggling a little.

He’s working to a bit of a deadline (5pm on Friday 22nd.)

I’m sure he would appreciate some extra help.

There you go Molgrips…..

Here’s the website you need…

https://scratch.mit.edu/

Click on “Create” on the top of the screen and get started.

Let us know when you have finished. Takes Year 7’s about 18 lessons of 1 hour a week to do this.

I’m sure you wont take as long as that!

OK….. Let’s set a target…… submit your work by 5pm Friday 22nd Jan or I start a thread called “Molgrips is a big poo poo head.”

The clock is ticking…..

LOL… Well done Molgrips.

OK…. Crack on then. Here is the handbook for “Flappy Bat.” Its a basic introduction to Block Coding using Scratch.

http://www.standrewspaisley.com/uploads/6/0/2/3/60230905/1467121834-flappybatworkbookpreviewfull.pdf

My challenge to you is follow the instructions on the attached 53 pages. See how long it takes you to work out the deliberate mistakes designed to promote learning.

Why don’t you create the Flappy Bat game….. (sure its trivially easy and well, Year 7’s do it so how hard can it be!!!!)

You could always post a link on here to your Flappy Bat game when you have completed it and we can all play it.

Go on then! I DARE YOU!!!!

I love this forum….. LOL!

Pretty much every thread that starts of with “I’m kinda slightly interested in learning about….. I’ve never done it before and I’m not very confident….. what would you recommend” ends up with 5 members of the “old-guard” recommending dropping a gazillion £’s on some designer “watchamacallit” they saw on Top Gear or The Gadget Show.

According to this forum…..

Beginners motorbike = Ducati 1098
Beginners guitar = Gibson 58 Les Paul
Beginners Toaster = Hatco Toast King conveyor
Beginners MTB = Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo SL Carbon

Christ! Keep it simple!!!! The poor bloke is just dipping his toe in the water.

Try some block-coding (Scratch) until he gets the hang of sequence, selection and iteration and then move onto Text based languages eg (Small Basic) where he will learn a bit about syntax.

Microbits are cool. Python is cool. Raspberry Pi’s are cool BUT

Walk BEFORE YOU CAN run!

Design Tech and Computer Science Teacher here.

Try these:

Year 7 Stuff… scratch.mit.edu

Year 8 Stuff… Microbit.org

Year 9 Stuff… smallbasic.com

Fun Stuff… https://hourofcode.com/uk

Good luck

Hi Bruce……

I heard this on the radio the other day.

I found it really interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000r3nx

You want to move to the London/South East in 6-12 months?

I’d probably wait 5 months and check to see if London/South East still exists.

Good luck.

LOL…… Bollocracy! I like that!

ohhh and I do like “portmanteau”….. definitely my favourite type of cheese.

er? What?

Coil springs are actually shot blasted/peened as part of their initial manufacturing process.

Shot-peening makes the springs stronger.

Also, most after-market suspension springs for cars/motorbikes are powder-coated.

Sorry…. Not true. Teaching Assistants do have a union. Its called Unison.

Todays members briefing by the NEU made it very clear that Unison are throwing their full weight behind the Safe Schools cause.

Please encourage your gf to join the Union. If not for this then definitely as protection against false student allegations or bullying SLT etc.